Published in conjunction with a traveling show organized by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, this book traces the tradition of landscape photography in the American West. From the gold rush to the great railroad constructions, it includes works by classic and contemporary photographers as well as essays on the photography, mythology, geology and architecture of the West.
1996 Chronicle Books, 180 pages, 170 illustrations, 70 in color, $29.95 softbound.

The New Handbook of Texas: A Project of the Texas State Historical Association

The first Handbook of Texas, published in 1952, filled two volumes. This updated and revised publication, 14 years in the works, fills six volumes with more than 23,500 articles on Texas history, geography and culture. Included are approximately 250 biographical entries on deceased art patrons and artists, including painters, photographers, sculptors, printmakers and illustrators. Add another 100 entries on Texas art museums, nonprofit exhibitions spaces and art organizations, and the result is a reader-friendly encyclopedia that is a significant addition to any art library. It opens with a portfolio of Texas history—76 color plates of drawings, paintings, prints and maps, beginning with a reproduction of the first written history of Texas by Cabeza de Vaca in 1542 and ending with a painting of shotgun houses in Houston’s Fourth Ward by African-American artist John Biggers. Some 3,000 volunteer authors and a staff of 130 worked on the project, and 28 colleges, universities, research centers and historical associations were co-sponsors.
1996 Texas State Historical Association in cooperation with the Center for Studies in Texas History at the University of Texas at Austin, 6 volumes, 1,157 pages, 763 illustrations, 76 in color, $395 hardbound.

Ansel Adams: A Biography
By Mary Street Alinder

Alinder was Adams’ assistant in his later years, helping curate the photographer’s 40,000 negatives and co-author his autobiography. In her own book, Alinder paints a fuller portrait of his emotional character and his career.
1996 Henry Holt & Co., 489 pages, 37 illustrations,
$30 hardbound.

Featured Artists

Gradually, the artist found less and less satisfaction in merely “painting what I thought would sell.” That’s when he began turning back to the mostly American Indian-inspired figurative works that the East Coast gallery owner had warned him to avoid.